This Dark Night ― Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase¹

―xv. secure the forbidden daughter

A STORM RAGED THAT NIGHT, but it parted around Camp Half-Blood as storms usually did. Lightning flashed against the horizon, waves pounded the shore, but not a drop fell in their valley. They were protected again thanks to the Fleece, sealed inside their magical borders. 

But the Fleece couldn't protect Naomi from her dreams. 

She saw nothing but darkness, not even the suggestion of a shape in its depths. It was disconcerting, to see nothing in the dark—even in the dead of night without a light or even a star to light the world, Naomi could still see a few feet in front of her, her eyes always adjusting to darkness.

But not in this dream. 

Part of her braced for a memory from the Bowry house, remembering the first time she'd had a strange dream like this. Freaky demigod dreams weren't all that uncommon, but that was the only one Naomi had had since discovering her divine parentage. She wasn't sure why, but with the level of nightmares Percy seemed to have, she wasn't complaining. 

Until now. 

A voice boomed in the darkness, like an explosion in an empty field: You have failed thrice to secure the girl.

Another voice, timid in comparison to the first, and cruelly familiar, answered: "We have contingencies in place, my lord. She will come to our side, one way or another. Our followers will make sure of that." 

They better, the frightening voice sneered. She is the key to our victory. She must pledge herself to our cause. It is the only way. 

"I understand, my lord," Luke said. "I won't give up." 

No, you will not. And you shall not fail, either. Remember the prophecy. Secure the forbidden daughter.

❊

Naomi woke with a start, the voice echoing in her ears as she sat up, narrowly avoiding bashing her head against the bunk above her. 

Cabin Four was silent save for the sound of Asher's light snoring. It was early morning, the sky still mostly dark but just beginning to lighten up. Naomi took a deep breath of much-needed air, slipping out of her bed. 

She was shaking, though she wasn't sure why. It hadn't been a nightmare, per se—though she knew the booming voice would haunt her from now on. 

Kronos, she realized. It had to have been Kronos's voice, telling Luke to bring her onto their side, to not fail him again. 

Naomi pulled on a hoodie, not bothering with shoes as she slipped quietly out of the cabin. She needed air—fresh, cool air. 

How could Kronos still believe he could get her onto his side? She'd never join him, not after everything Luke had done, not after Kronos nearly got her closest friends killed. She wasn't eager to meet her step-dad again so soon, but she knew she'd rather die than join the titan and his army. 

Naomi clenched her jaw. Kronos could try all he wanted—she'd never join him. Not in this millennium. 

It was too early in the morning for campers—even the Apollo kids—to begin to mill about, so Naomi was startled to see Grover tearing through the green like his furry hindquarters were on fire. 

"Naomi!" he called as soon as he spotted her. 

Naomi jogged down the porch steps, frightened by the terror in his eyes. "Grover, what is it? What's wrong?" 

"It's Annabeth—on the hill—she—she..." 

Naomi didn't wait for an explanation. Annabeth had been on guard duty, protecting the Fleece. If something had happened to her—

She took off toward Half-Blood Hill, barely noticing when Grover didn't follow. 

The whole camp seemed to be stirring—word was spreading. Something big had happened. Naomi didn't pay them any attention. Her only focus was on getting to Annabeth. 

A small crowd had gathered, but Naomi shoved her way through it, narrowly avoiding punching a poor half-asleep Ethan in the face. As soon as she broke through, she spotted a girl on the ground, at the base of Thalia's tree. Another girl in Greek armor was kneeling next to her. 

The girl in Greek armor looked up, and Naomi felt her heart settle back into her chest at the sight of familiar gray eyes looking back at her, full of tears and confusion, but most of all, full of life. 

But if Annabeth wasn't hurt...

Naomi looked at the girl on the ground, trying to figure out who it was. She'd never seen her before, that much she was sure of. The girl had short black hair and freckles across her nose, dressed in clothes that were caught between punk and Goth—a black t-shirt, tattered black jeans, and a leather jacket with badges from a bunch of bands Naomi had never even heard of. 

The thing that didn't match her grungy aesthetic was the amount of flower buds and petals decorating her front. Naomi recognized them all—calendulas, yarrow, marigolds... begonias.

Annabeth looked at something behind Naomi, getting to her feet. "It... she... just suddenly there..." 

Naomi knelt down next to the girl, even as no one else moved toward her. She touched her forehead, wincing at how cold it was to the touch, then at the strange tingling in Naomi's fingertips. 

"It's true," Grover said, panting. "I can't believe..." 

Someone else knelt down on the girl's other side. 

"She needs nectar and ambrosia," Percy said. He took the girl by the shoulders and lifted her into a sitting position, resting her head on his shoulder. 

He looked at the crowd, still standing there, stunned. "Come on! What's wrong with you people? Let's get her to the Big House." 

No one moved, not even Chiron. 

Then the girl took a shaky breath. She coughed and opened her mouth.

Her eyes were startlingly blue—electric blue. 

The girl looked between Naomi and Percy in bewilderment, shivering and wild-eyed. "Who—?" 

"I'm Percy," Percy said. "This is Naomi. You're safe now." 

"Strangest dream..." 

"It's okay," Naomi said softly. 

"Dying." 

"No," Percy assured her. "You're okay. What's your name?" 

The girl stared at Percy, and Naomi felt the air thicken like another, far worse storm was on the horizon.

"I am Thalia," she said. "Daughter of Zeus."

❊

AND THAT'S A WRAP ON ACT TWO! act three is... maybe my favorite ;)

see y'all monday <3